DoppelganGIR
by Elvis-Stitch
Summary: After being given an assessment off-planet, the future looks promising for Zim. Dib however knows better after witnessing GIR's destruction by The Tallest and realises Zim is next. With the help of other Invaders, and a curious trio of brilliant Smeets called the PAKless, it's a race against time for Dib to save not only GIR, but his nemesis from a crippling fate.
1. Nostalgic Pastimes

**A/n:**

Hello everybody.

It's been a long time since I've returned to the Zim fandom and never again would I have thought I'd find myself writing another Zim themed story. But alas, here I am. My writing style has changed quite a bit since my mature-themed fiction (Why Should We Suffer In Silence) so I wanted to test the waters with something new and fresh. After reading Rissy Nicole's 'A Parade of Indignities' I was hit with a huge wave of inspiration and admiration (both her and Dib07 are wonderful writers and I suggest you check out their work) and wanted to work my own, hopefully unique idea. I've never personally been so inspired by a fan-fiction before as I was hers. I've bounced around on this for a while, out of concerns with anxiety and such, but I think now that I have the plot fleshed out, I want to start publishing it. Aside from the above mentioned, this story was mostly inspired by music and also some artwork I saw recently that stuck with me in terms of how morbidly creepy it was. I hope you enjoy and please be sure to let me know what you think ^^

As for my other current **Lilo and Stitch** story **Error #626** that is still very much in progress and will be completed in due time alongside this story.

There are no confirmed relationships in this story, however whether you interpret as ZADF or ZADR I will leave entirely up to you.

**Warning: This story will contain character death, gore, violent themes and mild language. Please read with caution if you are sensitive to those subjects.  
**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the rights to Invader Zim. All characters © Jhonen Vasquez. This is purely fan-fiction for entertainment purposes and writing practice.

* * *

Ever since he was a child Dib had stared up to the night sky, a strong fixation with the unknown leading him to obsess over the belief there was something else out there in space, beckoning to him quietly from one of those millions of stars shining above. Not one night had passed where he didn't admire such a sight and he always made the time to, lying on the roof each night to gaze upwards into eternal nothingness.

Now almost eighteen, Dib had grown up captivated by the world. Curiosity often had him trail off into his own fantasies, his wonders and dreams enough to take him away from reality for days on end. When Dib was lost in his thoughts, he was gone. Nobody could reach him and that was how he preferred it.

During childhood Dib had spent his almost all of his free time studying aliens, chasing ghosts or indulging in the paranormal. Aliens however, were his favourite of all and he'd longed for the day he'd finally see one for himself; the mere sight of a blow-up alien doll enough to send young Dib into a small flying frenzy, fists raised as he attacked in full force with a battle cry of "I'll get you alien! You can't escape me!". Children cried and fled, angry parents scolding him for ruining their beloved birthday celebration, but Dib? Aliens made him utterly happy, even if the outside world couldn't understand that.

Aliens were an escape from the current reality he hated so much. Immersing himself in the unknown kept him sane as he'd grown older, a much welcome distraction from the hell known as Hi-Skool. Dib was no stranger to bullies, his obsessions making him an easy target. Adults didn't understand him and despite they'd tried, it was a hopeless cause often resulting with Dib being sent to the Crazy House for Boys. And that was why Dib hated them. He hated everybody.

The boy was fine. He didn't want to be understood by them and if anything, he just wanted to be left alone. Nobody ever believed him anyway.

Except for his mother.

Dib missed her terribly, for she had raised him to be open minded about the world they lived in. He had carried on her legacy through his belief in the paranormal because that was how he wanted to remember her best. She was alive in his mind, her encouraging words of wisdom amidst the taunts and jeering enough to get him by each passing day. Dib had nobody. No friends. But he had the memories of his mother.

And he had something else too. The biggest mystery about his life was a being that had opened his eyes even further to the world around him, having entered his reality six years ago. He'd established a place in Dib's mind and had never left, his permanent residency a cloud which dominated his thoughts day by day.

The very thing he'd dreamed of since he was a child. An alien. And that alien's name was Zim.

Having arrived on their planet when Dib was just eleven years old to conquer it, Zim was an Irken Invader, Dib learned from observation. He was there for one purpose only and that was to destroy their world. To annihilate the human race, preparing it for take over by the distant yet looming and ever present threat of the Irken Armada. After that moment, Dib had solely devoted his young life to stopping him.

Despite how many years had passed, Zim still had not conquered the Earth, He'd been close to it during the Florpus incident and had even screamed out his victory to prove so, a chilling moment which still haunted Dib.

The bitterness between the rivals was no different to how it had been since day one, but inevitably time had changed them both in many ways as time does. Dib now stood nearly six foot three, having grown considerably during puberty and reaching status of one of the tallest students in his class. A height envied among his peers but still not enough to warrant the acceptance or friendship he so desperately yearned for. Dib was as alone as he'd been since grade school.

Zim was relatively similar however he had not grown so much as an inch and the alien had no choice but to leer up not only at his taller nemesis whenever they crossed paths, but suffer the daily insults his peers hurdled his way as they also glared down at him. Zim had become an easy target due to his diminutive stature. He had been questioned on numerous occasions why he'd had a stunted development but always narrowed it down to a rare type of dwarfism and to the disdain of Dib, this excuse as pathetic as it was, had worked just as well as his even more pathetic disguise of a fake static wig and purple contacts.

Using those alone he'd managed to fool an entire city since he'd arrived and Dib could only conclude that humanity was getting dumber each passing day. Even if he tried to open their eyes to what was in front of them, they purposely chose not to see it and passed him off as insane because that was the easy way out. They wanted to be oblivious.

Whether Zim actually cared about the insults, torment and bullying he endured was just another mystery to Dib. But one thing he knew for sure was that even if not as active as he used to be, Zim was still very much dedicated to his mission and for as long as that was in motion, Dib would be there at every turn to stop him.

Their peers, having grown with the pair since grade school, had grown tired of their bickering long ago but repeated attempts to split the boys had always failed and they had no choice but to get used to the package of weirdness that the boys were. Dib believed had he toned it down he might have been accepted among his peers, especially those that had joined from other Skools, but his dedication to protecting the planet was as strong as it had ever been and nothing would change that. Not even his father's constant disapproval of him through his vigorous lamenting of how insane his son was.

Nobody else would defend the Earth from Zim so it was his responsibility. His calling.

After six years, Zim was still a mystery to him and Dib, with his insatiable drive and lust for knowledge of the unknown, had only heightened his obsession with the Invader. Their quarrelling and bickering had grown more heated and darker as the years went on and Dib had started to fear the worst the longer the Irken remained in his presence. He truly believed Zim was stalling. Or at least, something was holding him back, but he didn't know what it was and not knowing what it was had almost driven him to the brink of insanity, his mind only held together by a single, solitary thread of determination to protect his own kind. Determination he'd inherited from his mother.

He needed to be there to stop the evil Zim was planning, being the only one his planet could count on and even if they shunned him now, once they learned the truth he'd be viewed as a saviour. He looked forward to that day the most, for that alongside of his determination, was what kept him active.

As of now, he was stuck in the final year of Hi-Skool and once again Zim had ended up being in the same classes as him. As annoying as he was to deal with, Dib was somewhat glad he had a means of keeping tabs on his nemesis. The two of them sat as far apart as they could manage – Dib keeping to the furthest corner of the front row, while Zim practically mirrored his position from behind, opting for the furthest corner opposite on the last row. Once or twice they'd had to sit next to each but the teachers had soon tired of Dib's constant accusations and disrupting the other students by bending over them, as well as Zim's mind-numbing screaming, forcing them apart.

Often Dib wondered why Zim was taking so long though after some consideration he'd simply narrowed it down to being some sort of big plan. It kept him up at night sometimes as he gazed towards the stars. Dib had been happy that alien life had come to their world from out there, though he longed to know what was actually out in space itself. Stored in his garage was Tak's Spittle Runner, the Irken ship having crashed in his backyard after Zim fought the enraged female Irken years ago. Dib had removed his personality and restored it back to Tak's after that one annoying incident in which the ship thought it was 'the real Dib' although after the events of the Florpus hole Zim had created five years prior, it had remained stationary in the garage.

Dib didn't know if it would ever let him fly in it again, his recent attempts having been futile due to the ship still refusing to let his 'filthy butt' sit in it's cockpit. He would get it to allow him in again, he just had to figure out how.

Dib scowled at the thought as he sat with his head in his hand at his desk. It was a Friday afternoon at that point, drawing on three o'clock. Around him his peers chatted joyfully about the weekend and parties however Dib was already plotting out secret routes to Zim's base and forming plans. Glimpsing back briefly at his smaller nemesis, he watched the alien amuse himself by balancing a pencil on his mouth. As their eyes locked suddenly, a grimace adorned his features and he looked away.

Dib simply returned the expression, going back to his planning and absentmindedly doodling on the corner of his notebook after finding a free space, each page already being littered with countless doodles from over the year, a sign of his brooding obsessiveness – Dib practically lived and breathed the alien. He knew Zim almost back to front, despite a heavy veil still remained and covered the Irken's past, his race and where he'd come from. Dib yearned to see underneath this veil; while he had already obtained enough information to have a basic understanding of the species, he knew there was more. A wealth of knowledge to be discovered and it all started with Zim. The mystery.

His mother had taught him to pursue his dreams. To never give up and to hold on to hope. Dib wanted to follow in her footsteps and despite the strong opposition from his father, he just continued to pursue what made him happy. He was well aware that he was considered creepy although he'd learned long ago not to care. Once they learned the truth, he'd be viewed as a hero. For now he could endure the taunts and the bullying. Believing it would be worthwhile, Dib was strong enough to handle it.

Or so at least he thought he was. Some days it got to him.

* * *

The final bell rang, indicating home time. Dib passed a quick look back towards Zim. He found it harder to spot him now among his taller peers, the rush to get out of the classroom often masking the little alien from view. He eventually spotted him, lagging behind as per usual and trying to keep his smaller frame as far away from the other students as possible. Dib smirked at seeing this, confronting his nemesis as he passed through the doorway, books and bag in hand. He knew that Zim absolutely loathed being touched by humans in any manner.

"Gee, must be real hard for you to see over all these desks Zim."

Zim just glared at him, trying to get around his legs. Dib refused to budge. Anticipating what would come next, he started to grin cheekily, and sure enough it came.

"MOVE IT STINK-BOY!"

"Oh am I BLOCKING you Zim? Am I preventing you from getting somewhere with my TALL legs?"

The alien glared at him furiously. Dib knew just how to get under his skin.

"YES YOU ARE! GET OUT OF THE PATH OF ZIM!"

Dib began to laugh as his smaller nemesis waved his arms, trying to push past the taller one's legs. As he found an opening, the teenager whistled idly and stuck out a foot, tripping the Irken and causing him to land on the ground with a soft 'oof'.

Laughter resonated in the halls, their peers pointing and taunting the alien as he lay splayed on the ground, books beside him in a messy heap. Dib joined them, laughter blending in seamlessly with theirs. Zim just scowled, picking himself up and dusting himself off before picking his books up one at a time. As he reached for the last one, it was yanked up from the ground by Torque Smacky, the bully holding it above Zim's head and taunting him in a child-like manner which seemed to really piss the Irken off.

"Aw, is wittle Zimmy too small to reach his booky-wooky?"

"GIVE IT BACK YOU MISERABLE SMELLY BEAST OF MEAT AND HAIR!" Zim roared.

Torque just laughed as the alien jumped, his attempts of grabbing the book only proving fruitless as his smaller frame barley levelled his stomach. The bully took full advantage of this, taunting and mocking the disguised alien. Dib stood by idly, resting against the doorway to the classroom and a deep condescending smirk adorned his features as he watched the smaller student struggle.

Torque eventually grew tired of Zim's failed attempts, lobbing the book into him, causing him to fall backwards roughly. Laughing, the bully and his peers left Dib alone with his nemesis as the other students had already cleared out. For once Dib was glad they hadn't picked on him too, something he'd normally come to expect.

Zim was quiet as he stood up, once again picking up the books and dusting himself off. Dib followed him to his locker, which was of course on the bottom row with Zim still being so small. Dib simply reached into his, two above with a dented door that never made it shut correctly. As hard as he tried to be quiet, the image of what had previously occurred was just too funny and a laugh escaped his mouth as he packed his homework into his bag.

"Oof!" he taunted, repeating the stupid sounding noise and bending down to Zim's level, pushing his face near the Irken's to see his reaction.

Zim glared up at him angrily, slapping his face away with a small gloved hand, gritting his zipper-like teeth as lips curled back slightly to reveal a truly pissed off expression. This served to only make Dib laugh even harder, the teenager placing a hand on the side of his locker to steady himself.

"You think by now you'd have at least shot up a few centimetres or something space-midget."

Zim made no response, grabbing something out of his locker before slamming it shut hard. The bang echoed throughout the corridor, prompting the last remaining students and teachers to turn and look. Dib just crossed his arms at him and was surprised he hadn't broken the locker the door itself considering the dent on his was caused by him. As he watched Zim, a question piped on his mind. One that had been doing so for quite a while now.

"Why do you never fight back?"

Zim just glared at him again but provided no answer to the taller boy, instead turning and walking away as fast as his short legs would allow him, leaving the boy to stare after him and the word on the tip of his tongue never ended up being spoken.

* * *

Dib arrived home that afternoon to an almost empty house. He'd expected just as much with his father constantly working at his labs. While he'd made somewhat of an effort to be a better father than he used to be, his attitude never changed. Despite the distance between them and his constant condescension of Dib's obsessions, his father was still proud of him for who he was and his words from years back often resonated in the teenager's head.

Clembrane, created through one of Zim's idiotic attempts of imitating his own father from years ago, was in the kitchen and the familiar stench of badly made pudding wafted into his nose. If the entire house didn't stink of pudding, it stank of pizza thanks to Gaz, however both of these were counteracted with his father's recently upgraded creation Foodio 3000, the robot's meals now being somewhat decent.

A blazing glow lit up the living area, the sky outside turning shades of deep fuchsia and orange as the final hours of the afternoon sun started to set in. Dib greeted Clembrane, passing by the kitchen as his fake father turned, spilling pudding across his shirt and causing him to cringe.

"Hewwo son. Guess what we're having for desert tonight?"

Dib could only roll his eyes, but amused the alien with a simple answer of "Pudding!".

"Dat's right! It's going to be the BEST pudding I've ever made son. Are you proud of me? Like your best frwend Zim is?"

Dib scowled at the mention of Zim. They went through this same conversation at least once per day. "Even better than last night's pudding?"

"You know it! That's my good boy son! Now go do your homework stuffs and I'll come help yew brush your teef be four bed."

"No... that's ok," Dib responded, smiling weakly and putting up his hands at the weird alien before turning to head up to his room. After five years of living with Clembrane he'd grown used to the alien's bizarre and often stupid antics and even if created by his nemesis, it meant well. A sunlit corridor greeted him, a new recently installed window providing extra light among the once dark house. As he did every other day, Dib glimpsed at a picture of his mother on the wall before sighing and kicking off his boots. He felt something nudge against his back as he sat on his bed.

Dib grinned, eyes coming across the parcel he'd been looking forward to for the past two weeks. Not only did this parcel contain an updated X-Scope, it also contained some new spy-bugs and microphones, having been upgraded recently from previous designs much to the teenager's delight. Dib had jumped at the opportunity, planning on infiltrating and bugging Zim's house over the weekend. The alien had been quieter than usual, causing his curiosity to bubble over. He wanted to know why considering the alien never shut up half of the time – whether it be screaming about his latest plan in Dib's face or screaming about how 'normal' he was to the other students.

Picking the X-Scope up out of the stiff foam packaging surrounding it, Dib put it over his eyes and switched it on, walking to his bedroom window and peering out. Outside, his neighbours carried on with their daily lives, blissfully unaware of the fact that at that very moment Dib was literally peering inside of them. He was startled enough to drop the X-Scope when he saw what appeared to be a fork inside a elderly woman, taking the place of what should have been a kidney and a rush of a long buried memory forced him back from the window as he felt a wave of nausea pass over.

_Just how many people fell victim to Zim's organ harvest that day? _

He shuddered at the thought but it also served to remind him just how dangerous Zim could be when he put his mind to it. The whole reason he'd stolen organs from their classmates to begin with was so that he could pass as a human during a nurse visit, Dib recalling he'd been sent in there with head-pigeons. Dib hadn't been fortunate enough to escape an organ swapping fate that day but thankfully Zim had given the kids back their organs just before half of them died, including him. The alien was terrified of being suspected over the incident and thus drawing unwarranted attention.

Pulling the X-Scope from it's fallen position around his neck, Dib put it aside to focus on the other contents of his parcel. He picked the small spy-bugs up, inspecting them between his long fingers before also assessing the even smaller microphones. The size of pencil erasers, he would plant these in not only in the main area of Zim's house, but also the base. He was on a mission to find out where Zim actually slept this time, grinning like a madman at the very thought. He was always excited by any chance to gather new evidence on his nemesis, no matter how dangerous pursuing it was. Dib's eyes flickered towards his closet, where his brand new zero suit also lay. It bore a similar design to one he'd previously used when much younger to infiltrate Zim's base but having long grown out of it, he'd gotten a new one. Not only upgraded to deflect the lasers of Zim's creepy robot garden gnomes, this one had a built in cloaking device as well and he was going to use that device to it's full extent. Something he hadn't been able to successfully do in the past due to the suit failing him at the last second.

Dib knew there was more to the strange green house and narrow winding chutes it contained leading down into the depths of the Earth. Unfortunately for Dib, the majority of the time he had accessed Zim's base over the years he was scoped out by his computers security system and booted out swiftly onto the street. Zim had managed to upgrade the premise once or twice over the past year but lately he'd seemed lax about it and Dib took that as a cue that perhaps he possibly wanted him to keep trying. To keep playing their deadly and ongoing games as they had become the very staple of their lives. Without each other they knew they lost motivation, both having experienced it for themselves.

They were far more similar to each other than they thought, Dib had eventually realised growing up, but as long as Zim had intentions to harm him and their world, he would remain the enemy and he was more than up to that challenge. Being the defender of Earth Dib knew one day he would bring the megalomanical Irken to his knees – he just had to be patient. No matter how sinister Zim's plans were, Dib was not scared to risk his own life if he had to for knowing what he was up against only made his passion stronger. He loved the sheer thrill of seeking out the unknown and the dangers he faced by doing so. He had Zim to thank for making that possible. Just as he had Zim to thank for motivating him. The alien however, would never hear a word of Dib's debt towards him.

Sitting at his computer, Dib began organising his plans for the weekend, pencil in a tight grip between his long fingers while a crudely drawn picture of Zim without his disguise tacked to his wall above almost leered down at him from above, beckoning him and encouraging him just as persistently as Zim's voice in his head had for the past six years.

* * *

What do you think so far? Reviews/feedback appreciated!


	2. Behind Closed Doors

A dreary grey sky loomed over the suburbs, clouds releasing the first few drops of rain as a storm started to settle over Dib's head. Looking up, the teenager grimaced at the miserable sight above him. Still, he was persistent, and no storm was going to stop him from fulling his goal.

Soft rubbery leather squeaked with each step placed, black boots glistening as puddles of water were trampled on, splashing cold water around his lower legs but the teenager cared not and carried on, spy-bugs and microphones strapped securely around his waist and X-Scope hanging from his neck. Dib was used to being dunked or doused in cold water on account of Zim and if not that, it was some kind of alien goo. He'd destroyed plenty of his garments over the years thanks to their squabbles however it was of no issue to him. Having a wealthy father, Dib could easily replace his wardrobe if needed. He'd practically raised Gaz, took care of the shopping and also did the washing – all of the duties their father hadn't been there to fulfil.

Mist arose steadily into the air before him with each huff of icy air he breathed out, the beginnings of winter already starting to settle in as autumn drew to an end, a swirl of red, yellow and brown leaves lacing the gutters. The cold that breezed against his zero suit was still not enough to dissuade him from the task ahead; today he would infiltrate that strange base.

It was early, around twenty-past-seven. Dib truly had no idea if Irkens slept as Zim had never done anything to make it apparent he did and he'd never seen the alien yawn or exhibit any sort of tiredness. If so it was a seldom occurrence, Dib had missed it entirely or he'd just never paid the right amount of attention. He had nobody to question him where he was off to so early as Clembrane was too absorbed in making yet another pudding and his sister's door still remained shut as he'd left the residence shortly before. She was likely still asleep and he wasn't going to risk the consequences of waking her.

x x x

Approaching the cul-de-sac where his nemesis lived, Dib darted left and right to keep any suspicious eyes falling upon him. Today he wasn't entering from the front but rather from the back, having mapped the area out beforehand. The three story manor behind the strange alien house was vacant, he'd discovered only a week ago, with the family residing there moving out recently and Dib had seized the opportunity immediately. With nobody there he would easily be able to sneak behind Zim's home. Typically Zim had only ever expected humans to enter from the front, not accounting for the back and most of his security devices were spread about in the front garden.

As Dib started to climb over the fence at the back of the property, a scream startled him enough to fall backwards. Voices becoming apparent from behind the fence, he sat up with wide eyes, rubbing the back of his head. He certainly hadn't expected Zim to be outside this early but then again he had no idea what sort of life the alien led outside of Hi-Skool.

"GIR, how many times do I have to repeat myself? _THIS_ chute is for the garbage disposal, not that one! Now the base is filled with schlorbius slime!"

"...I DID GOOD?" came a shrill response from what Dib could only guess was his insane robot.

Zim let out a sigh of frustration and Dib heard what sounded like a slap. Assuming he'd just hit his forehead, he could tell from the irritated tone that the alien wasn't in the best of moods at that precise moment.

"No GIR! I don't have time for your stupidity today! Just hurry up and clean it, I need to start packing for our trip."

Dib's curiosity instantly sparked at that and he wondered about this new revelation. Was he carrying out another plan of some kind that perhaps involved a slimy monster? As quietly as he could, Dib scaled the fence again, peering over into the back of Zim's residence.

To his surprise, it was as bland as it came. There was no door to greet his vision, nor was there grass. Not even a window was present. He only vaguely remembered what the inside of Zim's kitchen looked like, but he did recall never actually seeing a window in that particular location. This confirmed to him that he was directly opposite the wall in which his kitchen toilet sat and he began to wonder if Zim had been negligent about security back there.

Perhaps he had a good chance to get into the base from back here.

Dib watched GIR from his perched position, the small robot holding up a rubber pig and hugging it tightly. He opened up a panel beside one of the thinner strange tubes that came out of the wall, before the teenager almost fell off the fence in shock when he opened his mouth, truffles of what appeared to be brown horrible slime spurting out of the pipe and straight into it, the robot sucking it as though it were a baby bottle.

Dib was disgusted. He used the time to pull down his X-Scope and try to see what was inside of GIR. It took a few moments to boot up due to the icy weather and soon enough an image flashed as the scan worked it's magic.

The robot's head was empty. At least, as far as Dib could see. Most of the mechanical components resided in the robots chest but as he turned for a moment, Dib thought he saw objects bounce around inside the head. His eyebrows furrowing in confusion, he zoomed in to get a better look.

The head was empty, save for a compartment with wires attached to it, and what also appeared to be a small ball of some sort stuck to the side. He could not distinguish the colour, but the inside of it seemed to have a few small mechanical parts and components. He also spotted what had bounced, the objects consisting of coins, a paper-clip, a loose screw and a piece of gum. The ball intrigued him the most and he wondered what it could be. That was all he managed to see however, as the slime started filling up his head and Dib's eyes widened in shock as he pulled off the X-Scope quickly.

"YAHY GI GUHNAH SGUHSPLODH!" GIR suddenly let out a gurgled scream.

Dib jumped down from the fence, covering his head to the best of his ability. Seconds later he heard the robot explode; a revolting slimy substance rained down upon him, slopping across the front of his X-Scope and plastering itself down the front of his zero suit.

"Oh GROSS!" Dib said angrily, wiping it off the best he could. The area around him was covered in brown goo. He didn't want to know where that goo had come from and did his best to avoid stepping in it, manoeuvring around the newly formed puddles on the ground. He cringed at the sight of the house up for rent, seeing the walls and windows absolutely plastered in brown slime and had a wild guess the new owners weren't going to be too happy about it. Running a hand through the scythe shaped cow-lick atop his head he'd inherited from his father, he felt the goo puddle between his fingers and turned up his nose in disgust, shaking his hand violently to get rid of the awful unknown substance. God damn it Zim.

Dib perked up slightly when he suddenly heard Zim's voice again, screaming in sheer horror from behind the fence as the situation settled fully in.

"GIR?! WHAT ON IRK HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"I GO SPLODEY WHEN I EAT THE CAKE BATTER. IT TASTE REAL GOOD!"

Zim growled and a sudden violent bash against the fence made Dib almost jump a foot in the air, his best guess being that Zim had kicked the robot into the fence and his eyes once again widened in surprise. He knew Zim could get agitated and furious with the robot due to his stupid and childish antics however not once had he known the alien to hurt his robot companion and it made him wonder what the Irken was really like behind closed doors.

His hand flew to his mouth when he heard GIR respond in a quiet, almost shaky voice, the terror from the robot relatively unmasked. Confusion laced the metallic tone as GIR could not seem to comprehend just how much he'd angered his Irken master.

"Mastah...? Why did you kicked me...?"

Zim's sudden unwelcoming silence spoke levels and Dib was about to peer over again to see the unfolding situation however he decided against it, remaining as quiet as he could. Despite most of his threats ended up being empty due to his stupidity, sometimes Zim did scare him. Eventually he heard an exasperated sigh, the silence finally disrupted.

"Today is a VERY important day, GIR, for both of us. I cannot have you messing up this time, understand? It's too important for that!"

"I'm really sorry!" GIR squeaked.

Zim sighed melancholy. "It's okay. I'm just worried GIR, I didn't mean to hit you or scare you."

There was further silence between them although Dib heard a tapping sound and GIR let out a another softer squeak a moment or so later. He wondered what Zim had done.

"Just clean it up properly this time!" Zim barked the command out so suddenly that Dib almost involuntarily banged his head against the fence and blew his cover.

"_P__roperly_ GIR. That stuff is far too jiggly and it makes the base smell like dookie."

"Yes master."

"And it's NOT cake batter, stop calling it that! Once you're done we will wait out the front. The Zhook charter will be here soon."

_Zhook charter? Is that some sort of ship like Zim's?_

As he listened, Dib could still hear a slight shaky edge to the robot's voice, leading him to believe that perhaps this wasn't the first time Zim had hit the robot and he felt a surge of new-found anger towards the Irken despite him saying he hadn't meant what he'd done. GIR wasn't the brightest but Dib knew from interacting with him over the years he'd only ever tried to please his master. GIR was also small, he didn't stand much of a chance against Zim. Still, it wasn't Dib's place to intervene and he remained crouched behind the fence, his mind only focused on the this new ship charter due to arrive and where Zim could possibly be going. Zim had been acting different than usual lately causing Dib to ponder on whether this was a reason or not he'd kicked his companion into the fence. He could see a slight dent.

If GIR was angry about it, it was seemingly forgotten, the little robot humming idly to himself as he used the back of his rubber pig like a sponge and started cleaning up the weird slime, Dib peeking over the fence again to watch once certain Zim was gone.

* * *

As much as Dib wanted to just walk around and infiltrate the base, Zim's anger had slightly put him off. Something was clearly bothering the alien, Dib having sensed this for a while with his actions being so distant at Hi-Skool as of recent. He knew Zim and this wasn't Zim. Wherever the alien was going on this trip, it obviously had to be contributing towards it some way or another. Zim was normally annoying, but how less annoying he'd been lately was disturbing, even for Dib.

He remained perched behind the fence, opting instead to send a spy-bug out and plant it on GIR's head. The tiny device attached itself to the robot's long bouncy antenna, blending in with the neon-blue colour of the receiver on top. It was at least a full hour before GIR finished cleaning the area, Dib eventually deciding against trying to understand how he'd pulled it off with only the rubber pig as it hurt his head too much. The teenager had pulled off the X-Scope, sitting with his back against the fence, computer laptop open in front of him and looking through the camera attached to GIR's antenna in hope of seeing Zim come by again, shivering every so often as chills rocked his body.

Dib had started to doze slightly out of boredom when suddenly he was jerked awake again, the sound of Zim's obnoxious voice booming from over the fence. To his horror it also travelled through the speakers of his laptop, just as equally loud and he had to quickly slam on the mute button, feeling like an idiot for forgetting to do so beforehand.

"What was that?"

_Oh Crap!_

Dib looked around in desperation, gritting his teeth before snatching the laptop, quickly ducking behind a bush right as he saw Zim peer over the fence. He ducked out of view instantly, hoping he wasn't spotted. As perspiration settled in on his forehead, there was a strange mechanical 'whoosh' and when Zim disappeared, he'd realised that he'd been using those strange spider-like legs inside of the PAK on his back. Dib grinned after that close call, his curiosity spiking. Only rarely had he seen those extra limbs and just like everything else about the Irken, he'd wondered what purpose they served exactly besides helping Zim navigate terrain and the inside of his base, let alone how they worked.

He knew the PAK somehow kept the Irken alive and essentially was Zim, having had an unfortunate experience with it years back when it had attached itself to him, his consciousness forcefully overruled by Zim's personality, but ever since then he'd yearned to know more about it considering Tak had possessed one as well. It was yet another mystery to add to the six year long one that stood behind the fence and Dib wanted that wealth of information hidden behind Zim's veil in the palm of his hand.

Dib perked up again when he heard Zim address GIR.

"Everything is ready. I just need to secure the defences, then we'll be out of here. Go and wait out front."

"Yes my master!"

Dib turned back to the laptop screen, watching as the robot looked up at Zim saluting, before bobbing movements up and down indicated he was heading to where the alien instructed him to go. Dib grinned in glee, wondering why he hadn't thought of the spy-bug idea earlier. He hoped the signal would hold out in space considering the vast distance, although he was more than confident in his technology. Yawning again, he rubbed his arms together, his coat and the multiple layers underneath still not enough to keep the icy drafts of the winter chill out.

x x x

When Zim finally appeared in GIR's view on the screen again, Dib's interest spiked quite high.

The Irken was wearing what appeared to be a maroon coloured suit he had never seen before. Metallic components made up sections of the attire. Attached to the Irken's chest, two metallic bands wrapped around from a strange looking device to his back, disappearing within his PAK. Heavy duty space boots completed the outfit. The suit also had that odd Irken insignia he'd grown accustomed to seeing all over Zim's base on the front of it.

Dib noticed an insignia of some kind upon Zim's forehead as the Irken faced the robot. Thinking quickly, he fumbled to tap an input through his laptop and a screenshot saved itself to his desktop. He would study that insignia later.

Looking back to the feed, Dib's eyes widened in surprise; the Irken was wearing a scarf. As he studied his nemesis's attire it served to remind the teenager of a similar space suit he'd worn during their battle of the planets out in space years back, the only differences being the colour and design. He was pretty sure the scarf wasn't alien in any way, just a regular scarf Zim must have found somewhere yet Dib was greatly intrigued by this.

Dib had always wondered whether or not Zim felt the cold, figuring his PAK would regulate his internal temperature – providing he had one, that was. As he stared at the scarf around the alien's neck it also occurred to him that he'd never accounted for Zim actually being ill before. Perhaps aliens weren't susceptible to viruses or colds, thriving in and being subjected to the harsher climates of space for most of their existence, or perhaps it was simply just down to the evolution of Irken-kind. Dib had so much to learn about his enemy. So many questions had brewed in his mind over the course of the past six years and he yearned for answers. Now that Zim was leaving, maybe even venturing off planet by the looks of it, this was the best chance he would ever have to attain further information and answers.

x x x

Dib had a plan.

Using his hacking probe, he'd shut down the houses defences before infiltrating Zim's systems and downloading whatever he could find. After doing so, he'd bring the information back home and use Tak's ship to decode Zim's strange Irken language, even if that meant kicking the ship to get it to work for him. He'd tried decoding it himself before, however the language confused him and without Zim to give him some form of guidance or head-start, he'd found it to be too complicated to figure out on his own.

Dib jumped when he heard a hissing sound above him, quickly ducking behind a bush. As he looked up towards the roof of Zim's home a wide goofy grin adored his features as a ship similar in design to Zim's Voot Cruiser, only far more advanced in design, descended from the atmosphere, trailing over the strange 'house' and leaving a vapour trail behind in the icy air. With a sense of alien elegance, it landed gently, the engine emitting a low buzzing sound as it grounded itself beside Zim and GIR, Dib observing them standing side by side as he peered over to the front yard.

"Wow..." Dib breathed, absolutely enthralled to see such a sight. Glimmering vibrant hues of purple and maroon, the colours blended into one another in a way Dib could not describe. The ship truly displayed both the beauty and grace of Irken technology, far beyond anything man had ever created.

He pulled out his camera, eagerly snapping away all the while hoping the spy-bug was still in place. Zim put in his luggage into a compartment before Dib couldn't help but smile as he picked up GIR under the arms, holding him up to the now open ship as a mother would lift up a child. A pair of gloved hands reached out and took the robot from Zim, Dib's eyes widening in complete fascination. Was it another Irken? In desperation he tried to get a closer look but he knew doing so would cause him to be seen, a risk he didn't want to take. He could have sworn he'd heard Zim shout out something when he'd handed up GIR, but it had sounded strange, like a garbled series of guttural words and clicks.

Dib's brows furrowed in confusion but almost instantly his eyes went wide again as he realised he'd just heard Zim talk in what must have been Irken for the first time, his true native language.

Grinning, he thought about looking through the spy-bug to see if he could hear an Irken conversation taking place but instead wanted to make the most of this opportunity to get into Zim's base, very well knowing it was something he might never chance upon again. Despite desperate to see another live Irken for now (especially upon hearing the Irken language) he instead settled on reviewing the footage after.

Zim eventually climbed in behind GIR, the ship leaving as swiftly and quietly as it had arrived, Dib once again staring up at the sky absolutely awestruck with a mixture of disbelief and even mild jealously. Even if he long knew about the existence of aliens, such a sight would always captivate him. Part of him wanted to be up there with Zim just to see what it was like. Another wide grin adorned his features once the ship vanished from view. This was it! Zim had finally gone! Packing away his computer, the teenager swiftly jumped the fence and landed behind Zim's house.

Rubbing his hands together, he stared up at the bizarre green structure in absolute glee before walking around and inspecting the back end for way to get inside undetected and begin his infiltration, activating the suits cloaking device.


	3. Into The Depths

"_What's wrong honey? Did you have another bad day?"_

_Four year old Dib looked up at the sound of that soothing voice. His heart soared in his chest._

_"Mommy!"_

_He ran for his mother's arms, tears flooding his eyes. It had certainly been a horrible day for the boy but her comforting smile was a powerful reassurance. His tears lessened and he relaxed underneath her arms._

_Dib hugged his mother tightly, nuzzling his head into the lower half of her dress._

_"They picked on me mommy! They said my alien story was dumb!"_

_"Hush..."_

_The older Membrane picked up up her son, putting him over her shoulder and patting his back gently._

_"We will go home, sit down and you can tell me all about your alien story, alright? How does that sound?"_

_Dib sniffled, pulling back to look at his mother, honey eyes meeting his own reflecting warmth, love and an understanding beyond that of anything his father had ever had. Dib felt at ease almost instantly, the subtle shakes of his small frame diminishing. The child couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen his father. All he knew was that his father didn't care about his alien stories like his mother did._

_"Okay..." Dib responded softly, a handkerchief wiping away the last of tears as his mother carried him back to the safety of the car._

_Dib always felt protected by his mother. She was his inspiration, his best friend. But most of all, she listened to him. She would always make time to listen to his stories no matter how busy she was._

_A gentle breeze blew past, ruffling his mother's hair. He played with it softly, running the dark purple locks against his small face and over his shoulder, she smiled, knowing how much her son loved her hair and as Dib watched the pre-skool vanish from view, he smiled as well._

* * *

"OH CRAP! OH CRAP! SHIT!"

Bracing for a rough landing, Dib barely had time to put his arms to his head as the entire metal casing gave way beneath his frame. Boy had he been wrong to assume it would hold his weight.

With a loud bang, he flopped out of the ceiling above Zim's stove and landed head first into the toilet, which just so happened to be filled with that disgusting brown slime GIR had been cleaning up before. Dib screamed and ripped himself back from the toilet, cursing and trying to get the disgusting substance out of his mouth. Thankfully he'd had his goggles on but even so it hadn't stopped the goo from getting underneath them too. His neck was plastered in it.

"PSHGHH! Ack!" Dib sputtered and hacked, before he swiped at his face frantically as he looked around the strange kitchen, hoping to find something to wipe it away it. Anything, even. Yet there was nothing.

**GOOD WORK MORON. **

At the unexpected booming voice, Dib screamed again, heart racing wildly in his chest. He looked around in confusion when it slowly dawned on him that what he'd heard was Zim's computer. He scowled, having had been sure his cloaking device was on.

"Why are you still activated? I thought I disarmed the security system!" Dib asked, feeling pretty stupid talking to a sentient house. "And how can you see me?"

**YEAH, YOU DID. DOESN'T MEAN YOU DISARMED ME. **It emitted a strange bored noise. **YOU REALLY THINK I WASN'T AWARE OF YOUR PRESENCE BEFORE?**

"Fuck's sake Zim..." Dib muttered and the computer laughed at him before going quiet again.

Stupid Irkens.

Pushing up the goggles, Dib focused his attention to his current situation, casting his eyes around the strange 'kitchen' he'd ended up in. Purple and green walls greeted him, almost three times longer than he stood, adorned in a repetitive, almost crude-looking UFO pattern. It was by far the worst paint job he'd seen for a while – at least colour wise that was. The stove was simple enough but a poster beside it had made him laugh heartily, the words 'I EAT FOOD' printed so boldly and obnoxiously beneath a happy face it was enough to make him almost squirm. It was just so Zim. Everything about the place was.

Dib grinned, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the dinner table. It had been an interesting morning.

x x x

After a long few hours of frustration, screaming and even spitting at his laptop screen, Dib successfully managed to disarm Zim's security system with his hacking probe. It hadn't been an easy task at all and he'd realised halfway during his trek that Zim had readily improved his defences since the last time he'd been there. A complex and tricky task, the morning had passed well into the beginnings of afternoon when the first few systems had finally disarmed, allowing him entrance. The infiltration had gone quite smoothly after that, with the exception of him falling through the ceiling at the end. He'd been too wound up in his thoughts to notice how badly it had been creaking beneath him. The darkness often took control of his mind and the inner workings and walls of Zim's base were exactly that – pitch dark.

Dib hadn't been stupid enough not to remember to pack his proper hacking and infiltration essentials however and that included a bright torch. And he was in luck this time around, actually remembering to pack extra batteries. He wasn't sure what had happened to his old ones, but thankfully Gaz always seemed to have an extra packet lying around; A benefit of having a gamer in the family. His stomach rumbled and he'd realised he'd forgotten to pack a snack but of course, his hunger could always could wait. He'd probably never get this opportunity again.

x x x

Unable to wait any longer, Dib squeaked in happiness and climbed into the trash can, knowing very well where it went. He felt a little claustrophobic travelling down it now that he was much taller, but his slender form allowed him to fit through the narrow chute easily. Zim was only a little alien and the base was designed for somebody of his size.

Sinister, red glowing Irken insignias followed his descent and Dib watched them, almost memorised as they passed by, reminding him all to well of where he was yet also almost tipping over the bubbling excitement inside of his core. He couldn't believe this was finally happening. How he'd yearned for this day since he was a child – being inside the base of a real, live alien. Past younger Dib would have been screaming in joy, but knowing the computer and how it tended to act, he didn't want to have it kick him out when it was being this lax about him inside of there to begin with.

From his years of obsessive spying and mapping, Dib had some idea of how the base worked. It was a complex system of alien machinery, narrow tunnels and winding wind chutes which allowed Zim to travel freely among the levels. It was buried deep underground but thankfully his claustrophobia wasn't extreme otherwise this would have been an impossible endeavour for him. When he was younger he could fit into spaces with ease but now his head often hit against doorways.

And that was not because it was big.

x x x

As the elevator he stood upon continued into it's final descent, the lighting around him became a mixture of dull pink and purple hues and Dib rubbed his eyes. Finally, he was back in Zim's main base and a smile crept upon his face once more as he recalled the only other time he'd actually been in there years before. It hadn't changed very much except for a few posters stuck around the walls, covered in strings of Irken text and diagrams. Dib started his mission by taking pictures of these and writing a few notes about their placement and design in his notebook. He wanted to capture every little detail and didn't want to miss a single thing.

As he progressed further around the base, anything he was able to open or explore further into, he did. Sometimes he found what appeared to be completed experiments. Other times he'd find small storage rooms filled with what he presumed was junk, but upon closer inspection he'd realised it was all items Zim had tried to use against him in the past. As his eyes settled upon a fish bowl in the back corner, one particular memory struck him. At some point in his life he'd dealt with a counsellor at Skool and somehow that bowl had been involved, but he couldn't remember why although he did remember Zim had managed to gain a bunch of super-weapons out of the ordeal. Dib didn't ever recall him using them against him and if he did, he was sure that he would have documented it somewhere.

Dib's bedroom was practically a museum. A Zim museum that contained seven years worth of information about him and about the Irken race. He had drawings, pictures, evidence. Everything he'd managed to get his hands on made his way into that museum, or into his garage in the case of Tak's Spittle Runner. Only the vital pieces were still missing, and Dib hoped to get his hands on those during this infiltration. He was getting greedy for answers.

He continued his exploration, pushing his body through pipes and shafts and even braving the narrow winding wind-chutes. He decided not to do that again when he got stuck and almost had a panic attack, but it paid off when he actually found a human experiment in that section of the base, although it seriously freaked him out. He recognised the child to be a now slightly older Nick – the same child he'd seen on one of his spy cameras in the past. Dib peered at him through the chamber he was contained in, a strange purple substance keeping him afloat.

Dib shuddered. He'd been in that substance before once too.

Nick grinned at him, an even bigger happiness probe drilled deep into his brain. The wound around the probe was discoloured, a deep reddish-yellow bruise surrounding it as veins protruded and throbbed. His skin had wilted away, muscles worn down from lack of exercise or movement and bald patches encased his scalp. Grey almost dead-looking eyes stared into soul and his mouth was stretched wide into a forever grimacing smile.

"I'M SO HAPPY. SO VERY VERY HAPPY."

Dib stared at the horrific sight, going to take a picture but decided against it. Seeing Nick in such a condition only served to remind him just how sinister Zim was.

He thought about rescuing the boy, but then decided against it. He had no idea how to remove a brain probe and if anything, he'd probably be blamed for the cruel experimentation or end up killing him in the process. It was just best to leave things be, as horrible as the circumstances were. He felt terrible for the boy's parents.

Sighing, Dib put his hands to the glass. "I'm sorry he did this to you."

"DON'T BE SORRY, HE TAKES GOOD CARE OF ME THAT ZIM FELLOW, MAKES SURE I'M ALL HAPPY LIKE. ALL THE TIME. IT'S GREAT!"

Dib stared at the unusual response, trying to comprehend it. When he couldn't, he just smiled awkwardly and walked away from the terrible sight. At least Nick wasn't dead.  
That was all he could say for that.

Dib was used to witnessing traumatic experiences so he was fairly desensitised.

x x x

Continuing on, Nick was soon forgotten momentarily when Dib became aware of just how huge Zim's base really was. He was completely awestruck. Dib couldn't even begin to comprehend the sheer size of the hubs alone, with the current one he was standing in almost as big as a football field. How had this all fit underground? Surely the base extended well underneath the neighbouring houses. Dib took so many photos that the storage on his camera almost ran out.

As he proceeded further through the hub he was in, Dib realised something.

Nick was the only human experiment he'd found. There seemed to be no other experiments or people in the base. He did stumble upon some animals, but that was it. Dib searched every location he could, wondering if he'd actually find some dead bodies but was relieved to find none. He thought he knew Zim back to front but after seeing Nick it made him realise he truly didn't. He didn't know what the real Zim was like and if he actually had killed humans before. He was an alien at the end of the day. A cold alien invader that came from a race bent on conquering and dominating the galaxy.

That instantly reminded him of GIR and how he'd hit the little robot and Dib paused.

Was Zim really as cruel as he had led himself to believe? Dib could see no evidence to suggest Zim was a murderer. There was hardly anything unusual about his base. At least, nothing that caused Dib enough warrant or panic to get out of there. Sure Nick was creepy, but he'd told Dib he was taken good care of by Zim. Trying to put darker thoughts aside, he continued his journey through the looming and creepy corridors ahead of him.

He still had a lot to explore.

* * *

Zim sat idly, tapping his fingers in a rhythm he'd recalled from a store radio a few days before. Head rested against his lap, GIR lay soundly asleep, undistracted by Zim's tapping and snoring softly. The journey had been quiet thus far and Zim was not only getting impatient – he was getting bored.

Staring idly out of the Zhook's window, he peered up at the taller Irken sitting ahead of him in the cockpit. A Massive Navigator, Grood, had been sent to collect him, adorned in a typical Navigator uniform that Zim had instantly scrutinised closely upon inspection. The only difference between the smaller Irken and the Navigator was that this Irken sported blue eyes, something Zim rarely had seen among his own kind.

Grood's position made him envious considering he directly worked for The Tallest, the second highest rank of the Irken Hierarchy, but he reminded himself of what he was. An Invader. A role just as important, if not more. A role he was the absolute best at. And perhaps soon enough, he'd be sitting in Grood's position. If all went well with this trip, that was.

The taller Irken had been swift and narky towards him from the moment he'd boarded the ship. Zim being Zim however, hadn't really noticed, opting to relay the interesting events of his previous few days including how he'd doused numerous humans in shlorbious slime to see how they reacted.  
Grood just grunted and occasionally conversed in Irken to what Zim assumed were other Navigators, mostly ignoring him.

While Zim could understand everything that was being said, it never once occurred to him that Grood didn't want to talk to or associate with him. He was just carrying out a direct order from The Tallest and he was far from happy about it. He hated Zim just as much as every other Irken did. The defective runt had almost cost him his life on numerous occasions. The sooner this task was over and done with, the better.

Sighing, Zim looked outside at the passing stars. As much as he would never admit it, he was nervous about this trip.

Two weeks prior to that day, The Tallest had sent out a message to him, inviting him to a secret assessment involving a scouting mission on an unknown planet within proximity of Planet Vort. Whether it was inhabited by the Vortians or another race, Zim wasn't so sure. He knew that Invader Larb had been responsible for conquering Vort so he was curious as to why he was needed for this particular scout but figured it was because only he possessed the skills to do so. Larb must have failed in some way and they needed Zim to set things straight. Or perhaps they just wanted to see his amazing Invader skills in action as they had on Hobo 13. Zim couldn't conclude any sort of answer, or find any obvious reason for the sudden assessment, so he opted to stare out of the window in contemplation instead, his thoughts a welcome distraction.

But what kept the small Invader nervous was not just the thought of his looming assessment – it was the fact that GIR was also going in for an assessment as well and wouldn't be with him. The Tallest would not tell him what it involved when he'd asked, only hinting that GIR might potentially be receiving a 'very special advanced upgrade'.

And that bothered him for some reason. Zim found himself to be worried as he was not used to being separated from his SIR unit.

GIR had been a troublesome companion over the years, often ruining Zim's plans or causing him to fail miserably but he'd also been akin to that of a little brother to the Irken, even if he did cause him severe headaches. Tight-knit, the duo had developed a close bond over the years and Zim found that GIR cared for him, even if his ways of expressing it were odd. The rare occasion Zim felt down, GIR would make him waffles without hesitation or give him a rubber pig to squeeze and Zim appreciated that. He appreciated GIR's kindness.

He'd been told that GIR was an advanced unit upon receiving him, so he'd figured if GIR was being assessed, it would involve something different to the other SIR units. Working as a scientist during his early years had enabled him to understand GIR's circuitry but even he didn't know how powerful it really was. He shuddered to think what GIR would be like after an upgrade and it almost scared him considering GIR had turned on him one time and nearly killed him. The chip for the behaviour modulator was still inside of the robot's head. Zim only realised then he'd actually forgotten about it over the years. He didn't want his robot being upgraded in such a way as he'd come to accept him for how he was. It just wouldn't be the same having a new SIR unit and he didn't want a new one.

Not to mention, there was the possibility of a glitch and GIR reverting to duty mode again, this time of a permanent state.

Even if he didn't show it very much, Zim cared deeply for his SIR unit. He was very protective of him. So upon arrival at The Massive, he planned to seek out his Tallest first thing and ask them how GIR was going to be assessed. Nobody would stop him from doing this. GIR was his beloved SIR unit and Zim had to make sure his best friend would be alright. He trusted his beloved leaders and was more than positive they would treat GIR better than any of the other smelly SIR units. Surely they would only embark to make him the best SIR unit in the Empire.

After all, only he was truly worthy of being Zim's SIR and Zim knew The Tallest only ever provided their most loyal Invader with the best.

Stroking his sleeping robot's head gently, the Irken Invader looked back out towards the stars to ponder on his assessment once again.

* * *

Dib was getting tired. Checking the time, he yawned and realised it was sundown. He'd been exploring the base for twelve hours straight.

He was currently residing inside of what he believed was Zim's quarters. The alien had no bed, instead he had a comfortable almost banana-shaped seat which faced a computer screen with a pink blanket on top of it. There was even a hole in the back to accommodate his PAK. Dib had resided in this area the longest, not due to being tired but due to the fact he had finally found the alien's 'bedroom'. He knew that would be considered as creepy to any average person, however Dib was grinning like an idiot and giggling just as hysterically as his younger-self would. He was sitting in an alien's bedroom.

Dib took a selfie of himself on Zim's bed, before taking another one by his computer and giving a peace sign.

After having his childish fun, the teenager eventually decided to call it a day, proceeding back up to the main level. Before finding his quarters, he'd spent the majority of the afternoon bugging the lab and also trying to get into Zim's computer, but utterly failing with zero understanding of the Irken language and it didn't help in the slightest that the alien's keyboard was also covered in Irken symbols. The computer hadn't helped him very much either, opting to just grunt at him when he asked for help. He'd attempted to try using Tak's ship, but she just blocked his signal the moment she heard him speak, making him frustrated.

Being so distracted, he'd forgotten completely about the spy-bug he'd planted on GIR. His backpack was heavy and his shoulders hurt from the strain of carrying various alien objects he'd decided to steal.

x x x

On his way out he passed by a light pink door he hadn't spotted before. Dib paused to stare at this, wondering what it was. It seemed to stand out quite a bit from the darker pink and maroon hues of the base. Putting his backpack down to relieve his aching muscles, Dib walked over to it but it didn't slide open like he was expecting it to.

"Oh, come on!" he moaned. "I wanna see what's in there!"

**UGH. FINE. JUST DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.**

Dib jumped, but grinned. The door slid open for him and a bright light filtered the room.

Vision clearing, Dib rubbed his eyes to look only to stare in shock. He was in some kind of small medical bay, complete with monitors and surgical equipment. For a moment he didn't even feel as though he was in an alien base, the room uncannily similar to a hospital ward.

"W-what is this?" he questioned, more to himself although the computer answered him again.

**THE MASTER'S MEDICAL WING. GIVEN HE'S ON EARTH AND ALL, HE NEEDS SOMETHING IF HE REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION.**

Dib just stared. The room seemed so clean and sterile compared to the other rooms of the base, and for some reason, Dib just didn't feel right intruding on it. A brief vision flashed past his eyes as he spotted those surgical tools again and for a moment he saw Zim on that table, eyes widened with an eternal gaze of horror as his flesh and ribcage was pulled back to expose vital organs.

Dib just wanted to get out of there. The room made him uncomfortable for reasons he couldn't explain and so he did just that – striding away from there and reclaiming his heavy bag.

He thought about this as the elevator ascended slowly. Ever since he was a boy all he'd wanted to do was surrender Zim to the authorities. He'd wanted acceptance and fame. To be recognised as a hero and Earth's sole defender. To be the person everybody looked up to and respected.

He'd told himself that enduring all the years of taunting and bullying would pay off, because soon enough they would all be begging for forgiveness at his feet. That they had only discarded him and passed him off as insane because they were so deluded into believing there was nothing more to their own bland and boring lives. There was nothing else outside of it all and they refused to even consider that possibility. He would lap that up and relish in it because it would be his day.

But seeing that medical room so openly presented before him, now he wasn't sure what to think.

Zim had kept him on the run for years. He was so used to it and their dangerous games, that it had been all he'd ever come to know. He was comfortable to the point he hadn't considered the prospect of Zim leaving, or simply not being there any more one day and he hadn't even bothered to figure out what would come after that due to his ever-brooding obsession. His own life plans and what he intended to do with his future.

Zim was all he knew. If he didn't have Zim, he'd have no one. Perhaps that was why that vision had occurred so swiftly. Because he'd finally been exposed to that environment he'd only ever imagined about since he was a child so openly. He thought he'd feel pleasure at seeing his nemesis that way but now he didn't know what to feel. Dib knew he wasn't a murderer. And seeing Nick had made him question the same thing about Zim. If he wasn't, Nick would have died long ago despite his awful and inhumane condition.

He still didn't know what Zim was really like though and for as long as that was, Dib knew him as nothing more than just an enemy. For the time being, he was still Earth's sole defender and he would proudly carry on with that role.

The autopsy could wait, Dib decided as he ran back out into the cool night air.

Rubbing his head, he headed home, feeling unsure and even confused, much the same as a small Irken Invader currently did out in the vast realms of space.


	4. Dreams Of Beyond

"Sirs, the Irken Zim will be arriving in approximately sixteen hours and fourty two minutes, post hyper-jump."

Upon hearing the message relayed via Grood, the Navigators in The Massive turned anxiously to look at their leaders. Perking upright in his seat, Tallest Red gave a long and disgruntled groan, followed shortly by a just as equally disgruntled groan by his comrade and fellow leader, Tallest Purple.

"That was sooner than I was hoping," Red voiced, the disappointment all too obvious in his tone.

"Look on the bright side," Purple nudged him, lowering his voice to a whisper. "The sooner the better."

The Navigators resumed what they were doing, having no idea what The Tallest were planning with the defective and they chose not to question it, simply doing their duties. None of them liked Zim and the atmosphere became tense upon the Irken's name being mentioned.

Red looked at Purple for a moment or so upon hearing that. Unlike the other, he had a hint of apprehension about their plan and Purple could sense that automatically without even looking at him. The leaders were close knit, having graduated Elite training together before being appointed as The Tallest due to their heights. Over centuries of victories from their reign, they virtually knew each other back to front and rarely did a day pass in which they weren't situated together.

Red tended to construct a more cautious approach to situations while Purple was straight forward, cunning and calculating. While they had their differences, this formula had actually mixed well between them enough to create a strong leadership dynamic. Each Tallest held himself with the utmost pride and the Irkens respected them greatly for it.

They'd served the Armada well since the former Tallest reign and with a narcissistic, universal desire for domination between them, both were well aware of what punishment involved from the Control Brains should they fail at their task, and neither of them wanted to experience the horror it involved; a death so gruesome that it was deeply ingrained into the mind of every Irken since their training during smeethood, forcing them to carry out their duties without rebellion and ensuring such a thing didn't occur via their PAK programming.

Zim was a different case, however. Since his creation, the defective had been nothing but a hindrance to the Empire. A genetic flaw that should have been wiped clean from the system long ago. Which is why it was now that The Tallest had chosen to concoct this plan. Several times they'd stood beside one another, jaws slack at the Irken's repeated escapes from banishment and confinement, making something that was supposed to be next to impossible look so trivial. All in all a massive rub in their faces, and they hated that. It was almost a joke.

In fact, the runt's PAK was so defective it had caused the Control Brains to corrupt _themselves_ during his Existence Evaluation, giving the defective free reign over The Massive itself for ten whole minutes whilst declaring him the best Invader to ever grace the Empire. The insanity of it all was quite literally a nightmare come true for The Tallest, having never since been able to live it down and if that wasn't the worst of it, Zim somehow had hijacked their power-core and dragged the ship towards Earth only within a year of his banishment on the planet, almost killing them. The planet which should not have been there to begin with.

The Florpus hole was the final straw. After successfully managing to teleport the Earth directly in their flight path, Zim had actually managed to send not just The Tallest but the entire Armada tumbling to their doom. It was only due to another smaller black hole being ripped open amidst the chaos they still remained alive, and were lucky to be so thanks to the quick thinking of a now promoted Navigator which The Tallest highly regarded and had offered a years supply of doughnuts for good service.

That Navigator had been Grood.

It was only then that Purple had realised in utter disbelief just how dangerous Zim actually was. He had the very real potential to wipe out the entire Armada due to his stupidity. Forget the Earth! That little mud-ball of a planet was far more likely to remain safe as long as Zim was there considering the Irken's plans to dominate it only resulted in their armed forces being wiped out and their most powerful weapons being destroyed instead. He'd done literally nothing to the planet itself so far. The one he thing was supposed to actually destroy – and he couldn't even do that!

Purple had finally snapped. It was too much. Not only was their rank was in danger, their very lives were as well. They had a loose cannon amongst them.

Red and Purple had put up with six long years of Zim's pointless transmissions, his never ceasing destruction to the Empire and his increasing criminal record which included killing the two previous Tallest. And finally, the day came. Purple had stepped forward and decided that enough was enough once and for all.

x x x

The notorious Irken leader knew they had to be careful how they went about this, which was why the plan itself had been carefully formulated, away from The Massive and away from the Control Brains that dominated every aspect of their glorious Empire. With their power, they could listen in at any moment, being genetically modified Irkens that asserted complete dominance over the Armada itself. The Irkens feared them and they had good reason to. Even Red and Purple feared them.

Red took some convincing, but he'd finally agreed to hear out Purple's ideas. As much as the Irken was despised among the Armada and wouldn't be missed, conspiracy to terminate a fellow Irken without the authorisation of the Control Brains was an illegal offence and considered as treacherous. Purple knew even as The Tallest they didn't have that kind of power and the resulting punishment of defying the Control Brains was public execution. By trying to remove Zim from the Empire, their own lives were on the line.

Which was why Red had been so apprehensive.

Only a few other Invaders knew of this plan. Invaders that had been selected as top of their class having completed their missions of conquest in the shortest amount of time and received the highest scores during their tests on Devastis. Invaders that Purple had contacted specifically, knowing they would not let either him or Red down.

Purple looked up when Red lifted himself out of his chair, placing down his drink on Table-Headed Service-Drone Bob. The smaller Irken grunted, but said nothing. Once The Tallest backs were turned, a slight glare adorned his features, however this went unnoticed by the two leaders. Unlike the other Irkens, Bob despised his leaders after they'd sent him pummelling towards the sun for winning a bet they had not only lost, but forced upon him against his will. He still bore the burn marks from the searing heat of the massive star and it had been a miracle he hadn't been killed.

Zim had saved his life by helping him escape their locked vessel, his SIR unit flying his old outdated Voot Cruiser into space and just barely freeing them. Bob had always seen Zim as a nuisance, much like the rest of the Irken race however after that incident he'd started seeing him in a different light and found himself sitting back whilst the other Irkens laughed at him.

x x x

Red left swiftly and Purple followed, the door shutting behind them as they proceeded down into the main cafeteria of The Massive – a giant room adorned with tables, chairs and TV screens. Pizzas were shared here among conversations about missions, elite training and the latest news in regards to planetary domination. It was considered the central 'hub' of The Massive.

"This better work, Pur," Red hissed, sitting down with his hands against his head. His apprehension was getting worse, evident by the repeated tapping of his fingers on the table before him. "By Irk I swear, if this go–"

"It **will**," Purple hissed back, cutting the other off with a swing of his arm, not at all phased by his apprehension. "Don't be so negative Reddo!"

If anything, he was excited. The thrill of finally being rid of Zim was more than enough to shake off his nervousness as instead of focusing solely on the worst possible outcome, he was focused on the possibility of what could happen. What it would mean for the entire Armada if Zim was finally gone.

Red just glared at him. "Just hurry up and make the call. Get those Invaders to Foodcourtia and send the coordinates of Point 2B-13D."

Purple nodded towards Red, zipper-like teeth baring a sadistic looking grin before he gestured to Rarl Kove and the two of them vacated the area.

It was finally happening.

Unknown to Red, a small distance away a set of eyes belonging to a small Irken watched the scene unfold contently and he was careful not to let his tray of drinks clang against the metal furniture and get himself noticed.

As he hurried away, he pulled out a communicator.

* * *

Dib jerked awake to his alarm clock. Stretching, he opened his eyes only to jump in shock to find Clembrane's face leering over him.

"GWOOD MORNING SON!"

Dib groaned. "Morning Clembrane..."

"I made fwesh pudding for yew!"

"Okay," Dib muttered. "Thanks."

Dib was used to this odd morning exchange, though waking up to Clembrane's face in his own was something else. The alien bounced, shaking up his room and knocking things from his desk, before heading back down stairs. Dib rolled his eyes.

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and yawned. It was eight-thirty-six.

Today would be the second day of infiltrating Zim's base. He'd done a lot yesterday but there was so much more to discover and Dib honestly had no idea how long Zim was going to be gone for so he was set to make the most of what he could. Kicking back his covers, he wasted no time to throw on his warm clothes, grabbing his emptied backpack and heading downstairs to rush back to Zim's base.

He barely got past Clembrane, slipping on stray pudding in the corridor and slamming into the front door loudly, the alien hearing the commotion and rushing in to see what happened just as he slipped out of the door. Dib rubbed his nose as he ran, certain a bruise was going to form there.

Having no distractions to keep him from entering today, Dib hastily made his way inside the base. Luckily for him it started raining only after he was inside the strange house and he looked outside at the downpour. The weather was terrible and getting worse by the day. Zim was fortunate he'd left yesterday otherwise his trip might not have had a pleasant start to it. Not that Dib cared much anyway – if anything he probably would have laughed at Zim desperately trying to not get burned.

Dib made his way into the kitchen. This time he'd remembered to bring some snacks. Backpack set on the table, he opened it up to put perishables in the fridge only to find it stuffed to the brim and some of the items toppled out.

"What the...?"

Forgetting about his own food, Dib picked some of the pink and purple coloured packets up, inspecting them. Adorned with more Irken insignias, he realised that every single item was in fact a snack of some kind. Baffled, he proceeded around the kitchen, opening up pantry and cupboard doors only to have the same thing happen.

"How the HELL is he not fat?"

Dib shook his head, deciding to keep some of the strange snacks for himself. He had seen Zim eating them a few times in the past, but hadn't cared enough to wonder about it. He knew that the race really obsessed over junk food from past observations but this was ridiculous.

Dib nearly jumped out of his skin when the computer groaned loudly.

**DO I NEED TO PUT UP WITH YOU ALL DAY AGAIN?**

"For as long as Zim isn't here, you'll be putting up with me EVERY day."

The computer went quiet for a few moments and Dib used that time to put his own snacks into the fridge, having to cram them into areas they would fit into.

**THAT'S SO CREEPY. WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH HIM? IT'S WEIRD.**

Dib felt his face heat up at that.

"Shut up! I am not!"

**YES YOU ARE.**

"Whatever! Just– J-Just don't tell him about this! Please? He'll kill me!"

It scoffed at him.

**OH, OF COURSE SIR. WITH PLEASURE SIR. I WON'T SAY A WORD.**

Dib raised an eyebrow at the strange accent and nasally sarcastic tone it responded to him with. He simply just shook his head and proceeded to head down into the base, this time entering through the elevator in Zim's living room. The computer was just as strange as Zim was, which made sense, considering it was his computer and Zim himself was the biggest moron alive. At least in Dib's opinion.

This elevator was much quicker than the one in the kitchen and Dib felt his stomach lurch from the sudden descent, pausing for a few moments to recover once he reached the base below.

x x x

Starting off much the same as yesterday, Dib took photos. He recognised the section he was in as the same one Zim had brought him to one time when he'd captured him, so he knew the teleporter pods in the corner led to the alien's moon base. He wasn't interested in exploring there though, opting to continue searching around the base instead, hoping to find something interesting. Something he could perhaps reverse engineer, or use to find out more information about Irkens.

Dib spent a fair few hours exploring and just as the previous day, it was well into afternoon by the time he started to get bored. He dared not enter the area where Nick was kept. Despite being desensitised, he'd found that horrific sight had played on his mind a little too much yesterday.

The looming walls of Zim's base seemed to span forever and Dib started to wonder if it ever actually ended. A walk down a narrow corridor led him into a dome-shaped room with a single computer panel on the side. Curious about this strange architecture, the teenager approached the device, half expecting a massive monster of some kind to jump out at him once he tried pressing a few buttons but instead he was presented with a hologram, the massive projection encasing him and spanning the entire width of the room.

"I will make YOO suffer large AYLEEAN!"

Dib almost doubled over in laughter, seeing a projection of his younger-self appear before him and a loud, shrill ring filled his ears as it cried out the mindless sentence, each word dripping with the essence of Zim.

Looking past the projection of himself, he realised the room likely served as a space for Zim to practice battling, long outdated by the looks of it. Dib suspected Zim hadn't used it for a while after spotting spider webs among the curved walls. He thought about hacking into the panel and changing the projection into a giant Bloaty's animatronic to scare the shit out of the Irken but decided against it. He didn't want the computer kicking him out or alerting Zim to his activities – although it would be priceless to see the look on Zim's face! Dib chuckled heartily at the thought.

x x x

Leaving the dome, Dib continued exploring before finally retreating back up to the main level and sitting on Zim's strange (yet also comfortable) couch for a break and a snack. Outside, the rain seemed to have settled for the time being. He yawned, settling his head back against the couch and peering up at the ceiling when his eyes widened.

Zim had taken the Zhook charter into space. Did that mean...

Leaping off the couch in one swift bound, Dib ran around the living room, looking for a means to get up to the roof of Zim's home yet as simple as it should have been, he was dismayed to find absolutely nothing. Not even a switch.

"There has to be something!" he yelled out in frustration. He'd only been in the roof of Zim's home once in his life and that was beyond his control. Now he was more determined than ever to get up there because he knew the roof housed the one thing he'd wanted to see the most. More so than the base itself.

Zim's Voot Cruiser.

The strange Irken ship had fascinated Dib for years. He'd been in the ship before only very briefly and hadn't had time to fully take in it's intricate Irken machinery. Ever since then he'd longed to sit in it again. He was quite sure that it didn't have Zim's personality downloaded into it. From his research over the years he'd learned Zim's Voot was actually an older model, so unlike the Spittle Runner it wouldn't kick him out. Dib paused, staring up at the ceiling in wonder.

"Uh... Zim's computer thingy? Whatever you are?"

**WHAT.**

"How do I get up to the roof?"

**WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU THAT?**

Dib groaned. "You've let me see this much already, can't you just tell me? I promise I won't bother you again."

The computer was quiet for a while.

**FINE. PUSH THE WALL TO YOUR RIGHT IN.**

Dib's eyebrow raised at that in surprise. He proceeded over to the wall and pushed on it. To his surprise, it rotated outward, revealing an elevator contained within. Grinning, Dib stepped onto the platform, rubbing his hands in glee as it ascended into the roof above and almost instantly an icy draft hit him. The temperature in the roof wasn't as well regulated as it was in the base.

Dib stood in the wide space, looking around. Unlike the purple and pink warmer hues of the house and base, the inside of the roof itself was made up of colder blue and navy tones and had a militaristic vibe to it. Zim's ship – the very reason he'd come up into the roof to begin with – was situated out on the middle of a risen platform above an open pit and Dib realised there was no way to access it from where he stood without assistance. He groaned again.

He reached out his hands towards the ship in some hope the computer was watching him, making desperate noises. When nothing happened, he flung them around.

**THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS PRETTY STUPID. PERHAPS I SHOULD RECORD IT.**

Dib almost fell forward and into the pit below him. The computers voice was much louder where he currently situated, the booming mechanical voice an assault on his hearing.

"Come on! I'm so close! Just let me at it!"

**YOU PROMISED NOT TO BOTHER ME AGAIN.**

"Well I wasn't expecting it to be out on a platform over an open pit!"

**HOW ON EARTH HAS YOUR SPECIES LASTED THIS LONG?**

Dib ignored that question, continuing to flail his arms about. Eventually a metallic jolt sounded and he looked down to see a metal platform extend out from the section he was standing on and connect to an area below the platform. He stepped on slowly, trying to keep balance on the narrow path as he proceeded over to the ship. Once across, the ship lowered to his level and the computer spoke again.

**IF YOU SO MUCH AS DO ANYTHING TO JEAPORDISE IRKEN MASTER INVADER ZIM I WILL LOCK YOU IN WITH HUMAN HAPPINESS ANALYSIS SUBJECT ID NUMBER 1221979NC231**

"Uh..." Dib voiced, unsure of how to answer that.

**THE HUMAN WITH THE HAPPINESS PROBE.**

Dib shuddered at hearing that. "I promise I won't do anything, I just want to look. That's all."

**FINE.**

To his delight, the hatch of the Voot opened slowly, a slight hissing sound accompanying it. Dib was awestruck and it took him a full minute to comprehend the situation in front of him was actually happening and wasn't a dream. He'd wanted this for so long.

Shaking slightly in anticipation, the teenager arched his body over the side and settled himself down into the small yet comfortable cockpit, an array of flashing pink and yellow buttons covered in Irken symbols casting a dim glow over his excited face. Dib couldn't even being to describe the sensations he felt.

It was outer-worldly.

And in that moment, Dib started to realise just how much he actually envied Zim. Envied that such advanced technology was at the Irken's disposal. The alien could just simply jump into the cruiser and fly off into space, something Dib had dreamed of doing since he was young. Zim could just break past that barrier whenever he wanted. Fly into the stars and explore the galaxy, the unknown depths of the universe mankind had yet to discover.

With this simple little ship, Zim had access to other planets, other races. Other galaxies! To the secrets of space! Zim knew everything he didn't. What even the world's top scientists couldn't possibly begin to grasp. And Dib was jealous. As much as he hated his alien nemesis, he would always envy that aspect about him.

At least he could learn about it through the alien though. That made him happy.

x x x

As he sat back and gazed at the controls, Dib wondered about life outside of Earth. He'd experienced space only briefly when he'd stopped Zim from squashing Earth with Mars, but he hadn't the time to admire it, too busy trying to save his own planet from being destroyed from Zim's weird plan.

He wondered about Irk and what Zim's home planet was like.

Dib had a feeling that Zim was a highly respected Irken soldier among his people. He was proud and devoted to his mission, with a strong loyalty Dib had yet to see anybody else surpass. Despite plans failing on the odd occasion, the other did acknowledge the alien's potential. Zim was a genius and his sheer brilliance alone astounded Dib. Apparently Zim had been flying ships before Dib had even been born and that made him wonder just how old the Irken actually was. They were a very advanced race.

Zim's vast wealth of knowledge never ceased to amaze Dib. He wondered if Zim was reporting his findings and information on his mission back to his people and that was why he'd been summoned out into space. Perhaps he was being awarded? Or maybe they'd even found a new planet for him to conquer as well as Earth? He'd been here for a long time now. The thought of Zim leaving made Dib's face scrunch up in anxiety for a moment or so; that was also a very real possibility and it was one he didn't like considering. As much as he and Zim loathed each other, he couldn't deny that it worried him.

Only once had Dib managed to come face to face with the alien's leaders but it was a conversation he didn't think too highly of, considering they'd only commented on the size of his head and that was it. Dib had expected more, but hadn't been too surprised at the comment considering it was the only thing his own kind ever seemed to notice about him as well.

But what had intrigued Dib was just how nearly identical the species was to each other. Looking at the red-eyed and purple-eyed Irken he'd very much felt as though he was conversing with Zim, even though both leaders were significantly taller than his smaller arch nemesis. It made him wonder about the Irken species as a whole because just like humans, they appeared to have different coloured eyes.

Dib had always wondered why Zim was so short. Were other Irkens like that too? He had yet to see another Irken other than the 'Tallest' and Tak. And also that weird large alien that had kidnapped him from class one morning. He vaguely recalled Zim mentioning the name 'Skoodge' a few times in the past, having had another Irken with him at some point however Dib had never clearly been able to see the supposed other alien for himself. Zim had been trying to fool him with some stupid plan but that was a blur now, being so long ago.

Dib gazed up through the hatch towards the roof of Zim's home, listening to the rain pelting down above. He was happy to just sit in the ship for the time being, having already seen most of the base during his weekend search.

He felt both satisfied and excited, knowing now he had so much to go through and analyse when he returned home that he'd be busy for weeks. But even with all of the information he'd acquired, he knew that longing would always be inside of him for as long as Zim existed in his life. That longing to know what was out there, beyond that of the clouds and atmosphere.

Dib had only ever been able to experience what had come to Earth from space. Perhaps one day he'd be able to experience what space was really like for himself.

Giving a happy smile at the thought, he shut his eyes.


	5. A Collective Ancestry

The sight of the notorious leaders was more than enough to silence the usual bustle of alien activity within Shloogorgh's Flavor Monster that morning, customers halting to stare as the two tall Irkens made their unannounced and overly-glorified entrance. An assortment of eyes narrowed upon the approach of the alien leaders, accompanied by their expressionless, militaristic Irken Guards, each being on high alert. The response from the citizens within was all too apparent; distrustful whispers instantly filled the restaurant, angry glares forming upon already taut features. A few customers abandoned their meals, opting to walk out, forgetting personal belongings in their haste.

The Irkens weren't liked. To the other races of the galaxy they were predominantly considered as nothing but vile, alien scum.

The opposed had good reason to; their citizens captured by the Irkens and forever enslaved into horrible working conditions, their planets taken over and their homes destroyed to pave way for whatever the Irkens desired the most at their time of enslavement. Those that rebelled were instantly executed – unless they were lucky to escape.

Tallest Red and Purple were well aware of the resentment from other alien species, however both paid no attention to the backlash. Born and bred to conquer and being the prime domineering species of the universe, the Irkens automatically considered any below them as weak. They were nothing in the eyes of the Tallest nor would they ever compare to such a strong and established race. The Tallest viewed anything other than Irken a joke, with Zim being the only exception as a mutual hatred of the defective was established among the Empire.

The sudden halt of the normally busy morning rush instantly warranted the attention of Frylord Sizz-Lorr, the larger Irken proceeding out to the front service desk to see the commotion for himself.

"My Tallest!" Sizz-Lorr's voice was laced with shock, the Irken barely able to process the sight before him before clearing his throat. This was very unexpected. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Greetings Irken Frylord Sizz-Lorr," Red responded, arms folded neatly behind his back. "How's business going these days?"

"Very well. Busy, as you can see." He gestured to the astonished customers, their stances tense as they backed away slowly from the scene currently playing out before them, wanting nothing to do with the obnoxious alien leaders.

"Ah yes! Well..." Red continued. "We have a meeting to conduct and request clearance of the restaurant for approximately one hour. As well as a supreme buffet menu."

Sizz-Lorr's eyes widened in disbelief. "An hour?!"

"That's right!" Purple chimed heartedly, before frowning at the massive Irken, voice deepening to an almost hiss that made Sizz-Lorr shrink back slightly, his stance faltering. "Will that be a problem, Frylord?"

Sizz-lorr swallowed. Apprehension laced his features for a moment before the Irken's posture stiffened. He forced himself to stand tall.

"No, My Tallest. I will prepare Booth 24 immediately and vacate the restaurant as requested."

"Very good Frylord. We will return shortly!"

Red grinned at him, hastily turning to follow the lead of Purple. The appointed Irken Guards studied Sizz-Lorr momentarily, both mirroring expressionless faces before turning and swiftly following the leaders, their electric rods pointed forward as a clear warning for others to move aside or face instant punishment, affirming their universal status and reign.

As Sizz-Lorr watched them depart, more bustling and whispering began circulating from the customers around him although he paid no heed as he began gesturing them out. He wasn't happy about losing business for an entire hour, The Tallest having arrived during the morning rush – one of the Frylord's busiest periods. Defying his leaders meant consequences however, something even he was not prepared to face. Still, he was curious about the current situation as The Tallest very rarely conducted meetings outside of Conventia and this prospect alone had captured his attention.

Why his Shloogorgh's? Who would be attending this meeting with The Tallest?

"What is going on, Frylord?"

Distracted by the sudden curious tone, Sizz-Lorr turned to face a smaller Irken looking up at him apprehensively – one of his most respected and loyal employees.

"I'm not sure, Gashloog. The Almighty Tallest are conducting a meeting here shortly."

Gashloog stared at him, processing his words slowly before paling slightly. "The Tallest?! Here?"

Another worried tone cut through the brief silence, Gashloog being barrelled into directly from behind by his other employee. Sizz-Lorr was quick to capture the drink Shloo had been holding, the impact strong enough to knock it from his hands.

"The Almighty Tallest?!" he too chimed out loudly in alarm. Both Irkens stared up at their Frylord in a mixture of utter disbelief and horror.

"Yes," Sizz-Lorr noted the worry upon their features, unable to help but feel the same about the situation despite hiding it well. "T-They've requested a supreme buffet menu."

Eyes widening, the reactions were spontaneous. It took more than a few moments to calm both of the smaller Irkens down. Despite their lower positions as Food Service Drones among the Irken Hierarchy, the Frylord cared about the well being of his employees and a visit by the The Tallest provoked strong fear. It would no doubt disrupt their normal routine.

Sizz-Lorr could excuse their reactions, and understandably so; one wrong move by an Irken under their rule resulted in severe punishment or even death. If the Tallest were not satisfied with their service, not only did Gashloog and Shloo face repercussions, Sizz-Lorr did too. All of them were at risk and at the mercy of The Tallest. They couldn't mess this up.

The Frylord had a stronger will than other Irkens, hence his position. He could cope with sudden stress. But seeing his two most valuable employees this shook up bothered him.

"Go back and start preparing as you would any other big order. I have no idea how many–er– _customers_ we will be having on account of The Tallest, but the sooner this is over and done with, the better. Once I clean Booth 24 and actually find out what's happening, I'll be out to help."

"Yes my Frylord," Gashloog responded slowly, Shloo echoing a similar almost airy response before they hurried out back to begin preparations.

Sizz-Lorr frowned, sauntering over to the large booth to begin cleaning it. Gazing absent-mindedly towards the window and out at the smog induced atmosphere of Foodcourtia, he pondered.

Something about this didn't seem right and Sizz-Lorr knew this wasn't of standard protocol. A pounding sensation began to brood within his temples, raw nerves starting to shake up coherent thoughts. The large Irken ran a gloved hand through the cap upon his head to wipe back furrowing sweat. He needed to get a hold of himself and fast.

After lining the booth seats with red-laced upholstery, a requirement upon a visit by The Tallest to show utmost respect, Sizz-Lorr had just started to clean underside of the booth when the idea occurred to him.

Jumping up, he rushed up to his quarters, pushing open the door and knocking his belongings about as he almost trashed the room in his search. Upon finding what he was looking for, he smirked, once more hurrying back down to the booth.

x x x

The Tallest made their entrance. Standing straight, Sizz-Lorr stepped aside, saluting the leaders as they approached, both harbouring identical expressions of discontent as they studied the Frylord.

"Welcome, My Tallest," Sizz-Lorr greeted sincerely, stepping aside to allow them entrance to the booth.

They simply nodded, sitting down.

Feeling sweat once more line his brow, Sizz-Lorr turned to retrieve the supreme buffet menus, an Irken Guard afterwards taking them from him to provide to each Tallest himself.

And then the door chime activated once more. As The Tallest smiled upon hearing this, Sizz-Lorr looked up in surprise. Four more Irkens had entered his restaurant, Sizz-Lorr instantly recognising them to all be of Invader Class. Walking in a formation towards The Tallest, each bowed in a sign of respect. They seated themselves in besides The Tallest, who began sharing about the menus as Sizz-Lorr stood in utter disbelief.

Something strange was going on.

As Sizz-Lorr watched the scene taking place before him, Purple locked gazes with him for a moment, an icy scorn adorning his features before he whispered something to Red and the other Tallest also locked his gaze onto the Frylord. Overwhelming fear began to cloud his mind and the normally composed Irken swallowed some spit at the very back of this tightened throat into his spooch.

No... he couldn't let his nerves show. He needed to get through this, for the sake of his employees.

If he went down, they all would.

_Be strong Sizz-Lorr. You got this._

Mustering a grin, Sizz-Lorr stared back into the eyes of his leaders when he suddenly Purple spoke, loudly and confidently yet the larger Frylord could still hear the disguised, underlying malice with each syllable pronounced.

"Well then Frylord, I think we're ready to order!"

* * *

Back in the roof of Zim's base, creeping coldness eventually aroused Dib from his slumber.

He woke with a start, a cold shiver running through his body. As the groggy haze coating his mind lifted, he stretched his cramped features out, a satisfying 'pop' filling his ears once his spine arched. Dib fumbled for his glasses, tiredness lacing his already blurred vision and making it next to impossible to see. He located the spectacles, planting them back against his face after rubbing his eyes multiple times. Contemplating his surroundings, he realised he'd fallen asleep in the Voot Cruiser. A loud grumble from his stomach startled him and then it occurred to him he hadn't eaten all day.

_Shit... how long was I out for?_

Dib pushed open the hatch with his foot, holding onto the sides of the ship with a stressed grip as he arched his feet over to once more balance on the narrow platform. There was no response from the computer at this move, although the same mechanical pathway he'd crossed before reconnected itself. He balanced his way across and proceeded back down the elevator to the living room, a rush of warmth almost instantly circulating around him.

Dib proceeded to the fridge and pulled out his snacks, sinking into the couch once again only this time, he pulled forth his laptop, spreading out the device across his legs as he chewed thoughtfully and flicked the power on. The device booted, and Dib quickly loaded up the spy-bug feed after hooking up his long range space probe, watching the screen tick by idly as the program tried to establish a link.

To his disappointment, the link failed and multiple reboots only only caused the same problem. Suppressing a surge of anger, Dib set aside his laptop to drag himself back to the fridge for another snack, feet sliding along the floor.

He decided to try again later. It was raining after all, the high heavens bucketing down something fierce outside. Dib could hear the wind through the windows, a spooky howling noise which made the hairs on his body stand on end. Walking over to the oddly shaped window, Dib leaned against it to peer outside.

Sudden banging against the roof startled him. It had started to hail.

Sighing, Dib peered up towards the sky. A bolt of lightning coursed through the grey above, causing the teenager to duck slightly as a blinding flash of white lit up the dark corners of Zim's strange living room. There was no going home during this atrocious weather.

Dib finally checked his watch as thunder boomed in the distance. It was almost three in the afternoon. Sitting down on the couch once more, Dib cushioned his chin against his hand and readjusted himself to a comfortable position, watching the rain plummet down to the Earth outside.

x x x

_"See the lightning Dib? Once you see that bright flash, start counting to ten. If you reach four and you hear a loud..."_

_"Bang!" Dib piped happily._

_"That's right! If you hear that terrible bang, that means the storm is nearby. If you reach ten and there is no bang, what does that mean?"_

_"Storm further away!" Dib clapped._

_His mother smiled. "That's right! Good boy!"_

_Dib felt his mother encase his hands into her own, and together they clapped once the lightning outside struck, counting between them how long it took for the thunder to sound. Dib smiled joyously as his mother laughed, holding him close as they looked outside at the storm._

x x x

Dib closed his eyes as flash lighting up the room once more.

"One, two, three, four, five–"

**BOOM**

The windows rattled and the teenager instantly curled up against himself on the couch, just wanting the storm to finish. Laptop pushed aside, he gazed towards the window again only this time his thoughts went back to Zim.

_Lucky bastard. Having such an interesting life._

Resigning to the fact he was stranded for the time being, Dib switched on the television, the Angry Monkey Show lighting up the giant screen and casting a dull glow over the living room. He yawned, running an hand through his hair and feeling his cow-lick flick back into place.

Another much closer bang outside made him jump. He huddled close to himself on the couch and waited for the power to go out, only it never did. Another loud bang of thunder made him peek up again a short time later; the storm had passed over and the rain was finally starting to ease off. Breathing a sigh of relief, Dib pressed his hands against the cold glass of the window and looked back outside to the dreary atmosphere. A foggy haze made the neighbouring houses impossible to see.

**SCARED OF THUNDER?**

Dib uttered a startled cry. The computer always managed to scare him. "Thunder like that? Who wouldn't be," he responded. "Pretty sure Zim is too."

**HE IS.**

Dib smirked at that information. "So... where did Zim go off to anyway?"

**SOME MISSION.**

Dib waited for it to continue, only it never did. "...And?"

**AND WHAT?**

"That's it?"

**PRETTY MUCH. I DON'T REALLY CARE.**

Dib had never met such an unenthusiastic AI before. He drew his gaze away from the window and looked up towards the ceiling at the clutter of interlacing cables and tubes housed there.

"Can you... even see me?"

**WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?**

"Cameras?"

**OBVIOUSLY.**

Dib paused for a moment, before sitting back down on the couch and pulling out his bottle of water. "So... what are you exactly? Are you some sort of super computer, or are you some kind of robot like Zim's SIR unit?"

The computer didn't answer him straight away. Dib was about to repeat his question after a minute or so when the booming voice finally responded.

**I USED TO BE AN IRKEN. NOW I'M MASTER'S COMPUTER.**

Dib nearly choked and ended up spraying his water out everywhere upon hearing that.

**EW? I'M NOT CLEANING THAT.**

Ignoring that statement, Dib jumped up from the couch in shock. "Wait a minute! You were an IRKEN?! Like Zim?"

**DUH.**

Eyes wide, the teenager became utterly awestruck. He knew Zim's computer was advanced, but this was incredible. He pulled out his notebook, a barrage of questions flooding his mind at once; he had no idea where to even start as he tried to process what the computer had just told him.

"But-but... how?! How is that even possible?"

**EH... WELL, I GUESS I'LL TELL YOU SINCE I'M BORED AND ZIM ISN'T HERE TO BOSS ME AROUND. IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. MY BODY PERISHED, MY PAK BECAME PART OF THE COLLECTIVE AND WAS EVENTUALLY RECYCLED AND THEN CONVERTED INTO BASE AI FORMAT. ZIM WAS THE SMEET I WAS ASSIGNED TO.**

Dib hurriedly wrote this all down, highly intrigued. He wondered what the 'collective' was. "So if an Irken dies, they get turned into a computer that assists other Irkens?"

**DEPENDS.**

"Why were you assigned to Zim?"

**DECEASED**** IRKENS ARE ONLY CONVERTED TO AI BASES SHOULD A SMEET SUCCESSFULLY CLONE FROM THEIR COLLECTIVE BLOODLINE, THEN THEY ARE ASSIGNED TO THAT PARTICULAR SMEET. ZIM WAS THE RESULT OF MY DNA BEING PASSED DOWN.**

Dib stared up at the ceiling in disbelief. "So you're like... Zim's ancestor or something?"

**YOU COULD SAY THAT.**

"Does he know about this?"

**IS YOUR HEAD BIG?**

Dib scowled. "I'll take that as a yes. Do you remember your previous life as an Irken?"

**NOT REALLY. I DO REMEMBER MY NAME THOUGH. AND MY POSITION.**

"What was your name and position?"

**ZEETO. I WAS A NAVIGATOR FOR TALLEST SPORK AND MIYUKI.**

* * *

Back on Foodcourtia, four Invaders now sat huddled around The Tallest at Booth 24. From behind the front register, Sizz-Lorr occasionally turned back to watch intently, his usually stoic composure betrayed by his anxiety. Something serious was being discussed, judging by their body language. Ahead of him in the kitchen, Gashloog and Shloo ran from station to station, hurriedly trying to process the supreme buffet order without making any mistakes.

Sizz-Lorr tapped his fingers against the metal plating of the counter, constantly readjusting the position of the fries on the tray before him. Everything had to be perfect. As the last of the buffet was served, Sizz-Lorr gestured to his employees. They raced out to the front and assisted the Fry-Lord in serving the meals to their unexpected company.

"My Tallest. Invaders," Sizz-Lorr spoke up, trying to quell the shake in his tone after approaching the table and feeling six sets of eyes turn upon him. He felt a bead of perspiration trickle down the side of his face. "Your supreme buffet."

"Thank you Frylord," Red responded, taking the tray and setting it down in the middle of the table. As Red began handing out each individual meal, Purple eyed him with a sharp gaze, causing the large Irken to step back slightly. Gashloog and Shloo quickly placed down their drinks, before looking at Sizz-Lorr.

"Well done. Now leave," Purple voiced, that same disguised malice underlying his tone once more.

Both employees flinched and Sizz-Lorr stiffened slightly before bowing; the larger Irken proceeded back to the counter, his two employees right behind him. Once within the safety of the kitchen, Sizz-Lorr collapsed against the wall and wiped at his head with his apron. Gashloog offered him a drink before kneeling beside him. Sizz-Lorr wasn't the only one flustered at that point.

"Boss?"

"You're doing great," Sizz-Lorr encouraged his employees as they suddenly clung to each other tightly in front of him, fear evident in their eyes. "Just hang in there for a little longer until this is over."

Gashloog and Shloo nodded at him shakily, although neither Irken let go of each other. An action not uncommon, considering they were brothers.

* * *

It was approaching evening by the time Dib left the base. Having become so absorbed in conversation with Zeeto, he'd not only forgotten to check the feed on his laptop, but he'd also failed to check the time, the creeping darkness through the window alerting him he'd overstayed his visit.

Despite Zeeto was blunter than ever, admittedly he was interesting to talk to. Dib was still trying to process the fact the computer had been an Irken formerly and had an ancestral bloodline to Zim. It was bizarre to think about and he wondered what Zeeto might have looked like as he walked home, feet splashing against cold puddles as fog laced the distant streets ahead. Dib eyed the neighbourhood around him as he walked, a maze of looming houses and winding streets. Having grown up there he knew the area like the back of his hand. Zim's base was a fifteen minute walk from his home.

Yawning as he approached the Membrane residence, he let himself inside before heading to the kitchen to scout for leftover pizza to settle the painfully loud growl in his stomach. Gaz was on the couch, eyeing him as he proceeded for his bedroom upstairs and her voice disrupted his thoughts as he placed a foot on the bottom step.

"Where have you been?"

Dib turned to look at her, taking a bite of cold pizza. "Zim's."

Gaz raised an eyebrow. "All weekend?"

"He's gone into space for some trip so the base is unguarded. I had a really interesting conversation with his computer."

"Uh-huh," Gaz responded, more interested in Vampire Piggy Slayer.

"Turns out his computer used to be an Irken."

At that Gaz paused, putting her game down to much to Dib's surprise. "An Irken? Like Zim?"

Albeit still cold towards him when in one of her moods, the relationship had improved significantly between brother and sister over the years. She would never admit it but Dib knew all too well that Gaz had enjoyed their escapade to Moo-Ping 10 to rescue their father. Now fifteen, she'd matured from her goth phase and Dib found he was able to hold a proper conversation with her as opposed to risking being plunged into a nightmare world for simply entering her bedroom.

"Yeah!" he chirped. "His name was Zeeto. He mentioned something about being a Navigator – whatever that is," Dib pulled out his notebook and flicked through it. "Apparently there were two other leaders before Zim's current ones. You know... those tall purple and red Irkens?" he clarified, noticing his sister's confusion and a look of realisation dawned on her face.

"Oh. Those two weirdos."

"Mhmm. With Zim gone I've been able to fully explore the base. Nick looks terrible. I don't know how he's still alive with that thing in his brain."

"Gross. Wasn't that like... years back?"

"Yeah. I don't even want to imagine being trapped in an alien base like that," Dib shuddered. "You'd love the base Gaz! You should come with me after skool tomorrow and check it out."

Gaz stared at him boredly before turning back to her game. "I've been in there before. Had to save your ass from Zim once, remember?"

"That was years ago. It's different now. Whaddya say?"

"Eh... if that gaming tournament doesn't go ahead tomorrow night, maybe. Got nothing better to do," she muttered.

"Sweet!" Dib headed for the stairwell, calling back over his shoulder. "You can see that stupid holograph of me Zim made!"

He was glad Gaz was taking more of an interest in what he enjoyed. Finishing the last of his pizza upon stepping into his room, he threw himself down onto his bed and pulled out his laptop, eyes shining with excitement as he clicked open the recording of Zim leaving with the charter, turning up the sound.

GIR was positioned into the back of the ship and Dib got his first real look at the unknown Irken. It was tall – much taller than Zim, adorned in a strange looking uniform Dib had never seen before. A high collar covered it's face and that was when Dib realised the uniform was different. Unlike the various shades of purple, pink and maroon he was used to seeing, this Irken's uniform was entirely blue. It's PAK was also blue.

As GIR looked up, the Irken's face came into view. Deep blue eyes stared back at the robot and the Irken had a device attached around the back of it's head. It was male, Dib realised upon seeing the antennae. He'd never seen an Irken quite like him before so he was intrigued. Zim quickly climbed in beside GIR and the robot hugged him.

Fortunately for Dib, GIR plastered himself against the window so he was able to watch in amazement as the Earth vanished from view, a smile on his face. It looked beautiful.

And then, he heard the Irken speak. Turning his head slightly, he leaned close to his laptop speakers while turning the volume up as loud as he could.

"Am'yhet srek'nnin hakzu zyahns naghtzt Zim."

"Uragha huryaha s'sc chck." Zim responded dryly.

The language was smooth and rolled off the tongue – a series of guttural words accompanied by soft clicks – almost sounding as if they spoke from their chests rather than their throats. Dib was in awe, having never heard Zim speak in such a way before. A human would not be able to replicate it, the syllables drawn out in such a pitch vocal cords could not produce.

"Amazing..."

Zim's accent often came though during conversations, but now that he was hearing it in full it truly captivated him. The language sounded beautiful and outer worldly, Dib unable to help the envious feeling from resurfacing again. Irkens were truly a unique species.

The blue eyed Irken seemed to start talking to another Irken via a communication device after that and Zim went quiet. The more he watched the taller Irken's body language, the more it seemed apparent he wanted nothing to do with Zim, confirmed when Zim began to ramble about something and was ignored entirely. Dib felt a small pang in his chest at that, knowing all too well how that felt. The fact that aliens were capable of doing it made him realise it was universal and perhaps Irkens weren't that different to humans after all. For the longest time Dib had believed his nemesis was well respected, but now he wasn't sure what to think. The taller Irken seemed more annoyed by the minute.

He noticed there was no more exchanges between the two aliens after that.

Dib was about to replay the conversation over a few times, when he saw GIR lie down across Zim's lap. Zim was looking right down, almost directly into the spy-bug but Dib knew he couldn't see it. The Irken looked almost apprehensive, something clearly on his mind. After another ten minutes the video stopped. The spy-bug was programmed to record small bursts of activity in order to save room on his hard-drive. Once they reached their destination, Dib would stream live. He just hoped it wasn't during skool hours.

He was eager to start documenting his research, but his blood turned to ice when he realised it was Sunday night. His assignment, due tomorrow, had remained untouched in his backpack the entire weekend, his focus entirely elsewhere with Zim being off-planet. In a panic, the teenager fumbled to his backpack, pulling out the papers to start working on it, trying his hardest not to be distracted by the open notebook on the pillow beside him as the calls of an unknown language lured him from afar.


End file.
